Steam-generator.



G. H. SANDS.

STEAM GENERATOR.

APPLICATION mso FEB. 8. |916.

1,209,21 1. 1111.111111 De... 19,1916. l

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

" @Hnca G. H. SANDS.

STEAM GENERATOR.

APPLlcArloN man rfs:s.l91s;

1,209,211. Patented Dec. 19,1916.

2 sHEETs-sHE'ET 2.

GEORGE H. SANDS, OF ELECTRA, TEXAS.

STEM-GENEBTGR.

recaen. j

Specification of Letters Patent. i

Patented nee. ie, raie'.

'Application led February 8, 1916. Serial No. 76,890.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE H. SANDS, a citizen of the United States,residing atl Electra, in the county of Wichita and State 5 of Texas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Generators,of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to an improvement in steam generatingapparatus and in to the novel construction, combination and arrangementof the parts Lconstituting such an apparatus.

The principal objects of my invention are: first, to greatly economizein the heatneces-r sary to produce a given quantity of steam, theapparatus hereinafter described doing away entirely with the old styleboiler so that practically every particle of heat contained in the fuelmay be' utilized in the generation of steam to which is added theexpansive quality of the gas produced from the fuel employed; second,to'produce an internal combustion steam generator in which all kinds ofliquid fuel and gas may be used; and third, to produce a means wherebythe proper supply of oxygen (contained in super-heated steam), water andfuel to thev combustion and mixing chambers may be automaticallyregulated in accordance with the steam pressure.

With the above and other objects in view, the' nature and scope of myinvention will be more fully understood from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming'part hereof,

Figure 1, is a diagrammatic view showing in longitudinal section anapparatus embodying the main features of my invention; Fig. 2, is anenlarged sectional view of the combustion -chamber head, showing meansfor automatically controlling the inlet of fuel and air or steam to thecombustion chamber; Fig. 3, is a vertical sectional view taken on line3-3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4,'is a cross-sectional View taken on line 4-4of Fig. 1. Y

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the combustion chamber, saidchamber being inopen communication at one end with a mixing chamber 2,and closed at the other end by head 3. Surrounding combustion chamber 1is a water jacket or tubular boiler 4 adapted to be fed and kept at aconstant level through feed pipe 5, leading from a such connection itrelates more particularly source of water feed (not shown). Heat; isapplied to the combustion chamber by means of a jet burner 6, traversinghead 3. Leading from burner 6, is afuel feed pipe 7 connected with apressure tank (not shown). A fuel regulating or control valve 8 isarranged inthe fuel feed pipe 7 Leading preferably from a steam dome 9of boiler 4, down through combustion chamber and on through head 3, andthence to burner 6, is a steam pipe 10, a regulating` or control valve11 similar to valve 8 being arranged onsaid pipe outside of thecombustion chamber. The object in carrying steam pipe 10 throughcombustion chamber l is to dry or superheat 'the steam beforeintroducing it to the burner 6, thereby producing a super-heated steamfree from the products of combustion but rich in oxygen to assistvcombustion in burner 6. Located directly in front of the burner 6 in thecombustion chamber is an inclined, perforated partition wall 12,preferably made of a heavy sheet of carbon. This wall is infact a baiileplate to spread the flames or gases issuing from the burner.

Leading from steam dome 5 to mixing The chamber 2 is surrounded by awater jacket 15, said water jacket being fed and kept at a constantlevelthrough feed pipe 16, leading from a source of water feed (not shown).The mixing chamber has an outlet 17l at right angles to its main portionand this outlet isin communication with an auxiliary mixing chamber 18,which extends on down and is connected with head 19 of a storage tank20. In the auxiliary mixing chamber 18 there are arranged transversepartitions 21, which, as illustrated in Fig. 1, are connectedalternately to opposite walls of said mixing chamber to constitutebaliie plates in staggered relationship to each other. One of saidbaffles is better illustrated in Fig. 4 and it will be observed thateach bailie is in the form of a disk of eccentric formation, beingslightly greater than a semi-circle, a portion of the circle beingremoved to leave a space for the passage of the steam, as is clearlyillustrated in the drawings.

The baille plates may be fastened in any suitable manner to the insideWalls of the mixing chamber, the means shown in the drawings consistingof a anged strip of metal 22', said strip being riveted to the Wall ofchamber 18 and to the baliie plates.

Directly above mixing chamber 18 in chamber 2 is a valve 23,communicating with water jacket 15, the stem 24 of which valve beingnormally held down under tension of the spring 25.' Underneath, and inalinement with the valve stem 24, is a thermostat, secured to theunderside of head 19, said thermostat controlling the opening andclosing, through. stem 24, of valve 23. This thermostat may be of anydesirable form which will accomplish the purpose. In the drawings thereis shown a small chamber 26 secured to the head 19, said chamber beingfilled with mercury. Extending up through "chamber 26 and on up throughmixing chamber 18 and up to and resting against the under face of valvestem 24 is a hollow copper tube 27, open at the bottom -and closed atthe top, said tube being filled with mercury supplied from chamber 26.As the temperature ris'es in the mixing chamber the tube 27 becomesheated and the mercury in said tube and in the chamber 26 will expandand asit'does so it will force the tube higher up out of chamber 26 andthus forcevalve stem 24 upward, opening valve 23, and thereby allowingthe proper proportion of water to enter the mixing chamber in the formofa spray. To secure a proper adjustment of the valve 23, and to therebycontrol the ex- -tent to which it moves, there is provided on theunderside of the thermostat an adjustable member 28, in the form of avalve stem, said -member passing on up through head-29 of cylinder 30,thence on through stuiling box 31 and into chamber 26.

From the foregoing it is obvious "that when the adjusting member 28 isadvanced farther on up into the chamber 26, the capacity of said chamberis lessened proportionally, and the mercury in seeking an opening willadvance in the tube 27 and force said tube up against valve stem 24.Conversely, when the member 28 is withdrawn from the chamber, thecapacity of said chamber is increased, which allows tube 27 to fallfarther back into said chamber.

Referring now to Fig. 2 as an illustration of the controlling means forfuel and steam regulating or control valves 8 and 11, the valves areeach rovided with lever arms 32 and 33, respectively, with a connectinglink 34 between the same, as shown. The storage tank 2O is provided witha diaphragm or lever valve 35, said valve having a lever arm 36fulcrumed at one end as at 37. The valve stem 35a of valve 35 ispivotally connected to lever 36 as at 38. Extendlng up to lever arms'32and 33 of valves 8 and 11 is a connecting link 39. When the steampressure rises in storage tank 20 it acts on the diaphragm valve 35 to4cause the valve stem 35a to raise the lever arm 36. This arm in turn(through medium of link 39) raises lever arms 32 and 33, thus partiallyclosing valves 8 and 11, and admitting less fuel anddry steam to thecombustion chamber, hence decreasing the amount of steam beinggenerated, or vice versa. For an adjustment of this control there isprovided a coil spring 40, secured at one end to storage tank 20, theother end being adjustably secured to lever arm 36, as shown in thedrawings.

For the initial heating of the water in boller 4 surroundingthe-combustion chamber there is provided a pilot or auxiliary burner 41,traversing head 3. The burner is connected to feed pipe 7 by pipe 42. Toregulate the proper amount of fuel there is provided aglobe valve 43between the burner and fuel feed pipe. To assist initial combustlonthereis provided an air feed pipe 44 leading from an air pressure tank (notshown) to the burner 41, and a globe valve 45 on air pipe 44 controlsthe proper amount of air introduced to burner 41. To ignite the pilotburner it is necessary to first remove plug 46 in head 3 and to open theair valve 47 at the closedend of the mixing chamber 2. The fuel and airvalves to pilot burner 41 are now opened and then through the openingmade by removing the plug 46 the burner 1s lighted. The plug 46 is nextreplaced and the burner 41 continues to burn until enough heat has beengenerated in the boiler 4 to operate the main burner 6. When the mainburner has been started the air valve 47 is closed and fuel combustionbegins to take-place under pressure, the oxygen necessary to supportcombustion being furnished by the steam passing through pipe 10. Wvhenthe steam pressure in boiler 4 goes above a predetermined point therelief valve 14 automatically opens and allows the steam to pass throughpipe 13 into the mixing chamber to thereby mix with the gases from thecombustion chamber. As said steam is of a very high temperature, itheats tube 27 sufficiently to cause the mercury contained in said tubeto expand suiiciently to open valve 23. This allows the proper roportionof water to pass through said va ve. The Water in jacket 15, beingpractically up to a boiling point due to the intense heat from thecombustion and mixing chambers, as it passes through valve 23 enters themixing chamber in the form of a spray which readily mixes with the gasescontainedvin the mixing chamber. When recaen the proper rpo'rtion ofwater has passed through va ve 23 the temperature of the mim'ng chamberwill be somewhat lowered,

thereby effecting the mercury in the thermo-l stat tube 27, whichcontracts and allows valve 23 to approach its seat.

The products of combustion and steam in the mixing chamber 2, in passingon through auxiliary mixing chamber 18 to storage tank 20, are violentlyagitated by baiiies 21. Thus highly heated steam is supplied to thestorage tank 20 as rapidly as it is required, and practically everyparticle of heat is utilized, thus effecting a great saving as comparedwith the ordinary old style steam boiler now in use. The storage tankwill be provided with a draw olf or service pipe 48, and may also beprovided with a pressure gage, heat gage, etc., as may be founddesirable. The head 19 of said storage tank is provided with a heat gage49 to properly adjust the thermostat. As there is a demand for moresteam, the pressure in storage tank '20 decreases, thus acting ondiaphragm valve 35 which in turn opens the fuel and steam valves Sand11, thus increasing the heat in the combustion chamber, which in turngenerates more steam in boiler 4 which passes on through valve 14 intothe mixing chamber 2.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that thegeneratoras a whole is entirely automatic in its operation, after theinitial heating ofthe combustion chamber. -As there is a demand for moresteam, more fuel and more air are automatically admitted to thecombustion chamber and simultaneously therewith more water is admittedto mixing chamber through valve 23, and conversely, as there is a demandfor less steam, the feed of the fuel, air and water is decreased. lnthis way the heat is con`- served and practically all of the fuel isused without loss in the generation of steam.

Having thus described the nature and objects of my invention, what Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

1. 1n a device of the character described, a combustion chamber, aboiler j a'cketing the walls of said chamber, a fuel burner extendinginto the chamber, and a pipe leading from the boiler to said fuelburner, in y combination with a pilot burner and a means for feedingfuel and air to said burner.

l2. In a device of the character described, a combustion chamber, amixing chamber in open communication with one end of saidcombustionchamber, a water jacket surrounding the mixing chamber, a burnerextending into the combustion chamber, a boiler jacketing the combustionchamber, a pipe leading from the boiler to the burner ind a pipe leadinsteam from the boiler to the mixing chamber combined with meanscontrolled by the temperature of the mixing chamber and .arranged tospray water from the jacket into said mixing chamber.

3.- In a device of the character described, a combustion chamber, amixing chamber in open communication with one end of said combustionchamber, a burner extending into the combustion chamber, a boilerjacketing the combustion chamber, a pipe leading steam from the boilerto the burner, a pipe leading steam from the boiler to the mixingchamber, a water jacket surrounding the mixing chamber and a meanscontrolling the temperature of the mixing chamber and adapted to spraywater from Said jacket into said mixing chamber.

4. ln a device of the character described, a mixing chamber whereinproducts of combustion and dry steam are commingled, in combination withan auxiliary mixing chamber extending therefrom and a series ofsuperposed baiiie plates arranged in said auxiliary mixing chamber andin staggered relationship therein, .and a reservoir arranged below thestaggered balile plates.

5.- In a device of the character described, a combustion chamber, amixing chamber in open communication vwith one end of said combustionchamber, a burner, extending into the combustionh chamber, a valvecontrolled exit from the mixing chamber arranged to permit of theexhaust of waste gases at the initial starting of the apparatus,

Ya boiler jacketing the combustion chamber,

a water jacket for the mixing chamber, a pipe leading from the steamchest of the boiler to the mixing chamber, a means controlled by thetemperature of the. mixing chamber, arranged to spray'water from thejacket into said mixing chamber andapipe leading from the steam chest ofthe boiler to the burner.

ln testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification inthepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE H. SANDS. Witnesses:

Hx N EWSUM, C. H. Sco'rr.

